GRM scraps plans to run Volvos in Australian Supercars in 2017

The team, which ran Volvos from 2014-16, tried to keep the Swedish cars on the grid for this year in the wake of the manufacturer withdrawing its factory support.

However, team owner Garry Rogers gave up on that plan once it became clear Volvo would not allow him to continue running its engines.

"I know that there was talk of us potentially running a generic Supercar [Chevrolet] engine in the Volvo S60, but this did not sit well with me," wrote Rogers.

"Having tried extremely hard to secure the Volvo V8 engines that had been developed and built in Sweden, which had absolutely no use except in Supercar racing, we ultimately failed.

"The choice that I was left with was - do we run the Volvo chassis with a Chev engine?

"The traditionalist in me knew it was not the right thing to run a Chev engine in a Volvo chassis in a touring car category.

"Having exhausted all potential avenues, including offering to buy the Volvo engines, this decision was made in early December, and we have been absolutely flat out ever since."

Rogers said his team members have had to cancel holiday plans to get two VF Commodores ready in time for the 2017 campaign.

"The normal build time for a Supercar from the first chassis bars being welded to the time it would debut is approximately 16 weeks," he added.

"We had to build two brand new cars in less than 10 weeks, while also completing the final build stages on the two new Development Series cars we are preparing for the 2017 Dunlop Series.

"In effect four new cars were being built inside five months, with no additions to our workforce!"